Flavour combinations: Our top salad tips

Here at Harvester Oyster Catcher, we know how to make a salad special – and our salad experts are full of tips and tricks to help turn your lunchtime salad into a real tasty treat.

Forget limp lettuce – start with good basic ingredients, and remember to chop and change the stars of your salad so you don’t get tired of the same thing. Load up your leaves, too – a big box of salad means you can dive in and graze until you’re full.

Use a salad spinner to make sure your leaves are dry. Or, if you don’t have one, you can pop your washed leaves into a clean pillowcase and spin it above your head. You’ll look ridiculous, but it works a treat.

2. Know your onions

Onion is great for flavour and crunch – but if you find the taste of raw onions too strong, you can mellow it by soaking the onions in ice-cold water for 5-10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle in some seeds

Pumpkin, sesame, nigella, sunflower… Seeds are a great addition to any salad. But don’t just pop them in raw – give them a quick toast in a dry pan to give them some extra flavour.

4. Spice it up with chilli

A pinch of chilli flakes or freshly chopped chilli will give your salad a spicy kick. Pair it with unlikely ingredients like chunks of melon, pineapple or cucumber. It might sound a bit out there, but trust us on this one.